Lost Moments: Nature of the Beast
by Il fanatico
Summary: "Lost Moments" is a series of short stories detailing the "lost" moments: what may have happened after significant events in the show, but that weren't shown. Spoilers for 9x01, Tony is hospitalized. REPOSTED AND REVISED to be more in-character. Review!


**Summary**: "Lost Moments" is a series of very short stories that are exactly what they sound like; moments that were never shown onscreen, but my friend and I believe may have happened. "LM: Nature of the Beast" was written by me, Il fanatico.

**A/N: **An anonymous reviewer commented that this story was originally very out-of-character, and when I reread it, I completely agreed. In my revisions, I did try to keep some of the more in-character and poetic elements the same. I sincerely thank that reviewer, and hope that they like this version at least a little better, even if it is still rather sad.

He sits on the edge of the uncomfortable hospital bed, staring into space. His former partner's sister has left, upon the silver-haired man's suggestion that this weary man needs to rest after his mental ordeal. But the old fox insists on staying with him, just in case.

The door opens slowly, and he doesn't move, though his unasked-for bodyguard pulls a gun out of a holster at his waist. Then, when the man sees who is entering, looks at the man on the bed and leaves, closing the door behind him.

The new arrival stands just inside the room, which is quiet for a moment before she opens her mouth. "It is not your fault, you know." He still doesn't move, but replies softly, and with a vein of anger coloring his words.

"I don't want your pity." She laughs at a volume to match his, and silently appears next to him on the bed, their sides touching. She can sense that he is teetering on the edge, the edge between the waterfall and the bottomless hole. He can fall into the waterfall, and let loose a torrent of emotion, tears, and weakness. Or he can collapse into the bottomless cavern of himself, empty with self-hate and reclusiveness, and no hope of escape. But she is standing at the base of the waterfall, ready to catch him and guide him up the river of recovery.

"Why are you here, Zi?" He begins the long descent.

She doesn't answer.

"I messed up. I didn't think, and people I care about got hurt. And it has happened a lot these past two years. I don't think things through, and I screw up people's relationships; I _killed _Abby's boyfriend because I didn't think. I shot Rivkin four times and got you sent to Africa because I wasn't being rational. Who knows what social crap Tim has gone through because of me not thinking about how it might hurt him. Hell, I let Jenny die because I didn't think, just followed orders. Who knows what she had going with Gibbs. It's just not enough for me to screw up my own relationships. I played Jeanne, and didn't think about how I was going to hurt her when the truth finally came out. And now I've probably killed EJ, the only girlfriend I've even sort of had since The Frog mess, because_ I didn't think_." He isn't staring into space anymore, but burning a hole in the tile floor with his furious gaze. He is almost to the bottom. "I should just...quit trying to be friends, so that my stupidity doesn't hurt anyone." She slips off the bed and kneels at his feet, looking up at his face and taking his hands in hers.

"Look at me," she commands in a whisper. Something in her voice makes him lift his head enough for her to see his face. Many emotions play across it, ranging from anger to pain to something she can't describe. "Alone, bad," she says, still quiet, and loosens her hold on his left hand. Immediately, he tightens his, eliciting a small smile from her and a new emotion from him. "Friend, good." She gives his right a squeeze. And with that, she has caught his falling form and has begun the journey up the river.

His face clears, and he replies, "_'Bride of Frankenstein'_. I thought you were asleep during that one."

"No, just very comfortable," she corrects with a larger, more mysterious smile. But it fades away as she speaks again, quickly, before he can look away from her again. "You do not ruin our lives. Nothing that has happened was your fault. And do not let anyone or anything ever convince you otherwise." He nods, his eyes lost in hers, and she knows he will be okay. "Now go to sleep. You do not want Gibbs slapping you for falling asleep on the job." He lays down and allows her to pull up the blankets, never looking away from her as she turns off the lights and takes a seat in a chair next to the bed.

When she thinks he has succumbed to sleep, she leans in close to his face and whispers in his ear. But he isn't quite asleep, and catches on to the end of her sentence. "...will always love you."

She rests her lips on his cheek for a full second, and then settles into her chair, already putting together a plan for the next day.

Because while she might be the one guiding him up that river, they're going to need a current to propel them, a current made up of those friends whose lives he had thought he had ruined.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own NCIS or _'Bride of Frankenstein'_.

**A/N:** I hope this was a little more in-character, and that it was better. I am extremely disappointed in myself for writing something so obviously out-of-character, and I thank my anonymous reviewer for their help. This will _not _happen again.

Please review and tell me whether or not this is in-character, please!


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